PEEPS & COMPANY: Deliciousness All Year Long {Review & Gift Certificate Giveaway - 5 winners!}

{This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, Belly Charms, TwoPeasInAPodOneDayAtATime, Shell Holland, careym and Allison!}

Even though the true meaning of various holidays throughout the year might be celebratory (birthdays, Mother's Day), religious (Christmas, Easter), patriotic (July 4th, Memorial Day) or more, let's admit something: it's really all about the food.

It's not our fault though, it's tradition. There are just some seasonal foods that we wait for all year long and when the occasion is finally drawing near, we can't help but be excited. After all, it just wouldn't be Christmas without candy canes and eggnog, Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie or Valentine's Day without those little candy conversation hearts.

And it definitely wouldn't be Easter without PEEPS.

If your basket doesn't contain the brightly-colored, iconic, puffy marshmallow candies, then... well, clearly you must have done something to upset the Easter Bunny.

For me, even after all these years of clearly knowing that Peeps were a staple for Easter, how did the fact that they're available year-round seem to go unnoticed? The spooky cat-shaped ones at Halloween... the snowman-shaped ones for winter... the heart-shaped ones for Valentine's Day...

There is just no reason to think that you have to wait until Easter every year to enjoy Peeps, whether you're someone who eats them fresh out of the package or leaves them sitting out to acquire a hardened outer layer. No matter how you prefer them, there just isn't a way to compare to Peeps and there just isn't a reason to think you can't have them any month of the year.

Here it is the middle of summer and, in a few quick clicks, you could end up with something like this sitting on your counter:

That's right, with the availability of the PEEPS & COMPANY website, you can pick up these tasty creatures in a variety of colors whenever you so desire.

However, when I arrived at PEEPS & COMPANY with the intention of doing just that, I was immediately sidetracked when I saw that they offer much more than marshmallow chicks and bunnies. As well as PEEPS, their brands include HOT TAMALES, MIKE AND IKE, and PEANUT CHEWS, all with so much more than just candy.

Shopping on PEEPS & COMPANY was extremely easy (minus having to control my drooling over the chocolate) as the site is set up to allow you to browse by brand, category, new arrivals, and more. The hardest part is figuring out where to start!

Something to show off your PEEPS & COMPANY love?

Or maybe a gift idea for someone who has everything?

Or, of course, the wide variety of sweet treats that everyone knows and loves?

I decided to go with all of the above, as I couldn't pass up the fun of any of the PEEPS & COMPANY categories, now could I? Placing my order was fast and easy and I appreciated being able to see the running total in my Shopping Bag or quickly update or change anything that I had added to it.

It didn't take long at all before my choices arrived on my doorstep, bringing excitement to all of us!

When I came across the PEEPS Peepsters (which are not currently available online, but I'm sure they'll come back!), I knew they were calling my name. The combination of rich chocolate and the delicious marshmallow flavor that Peeps are known for - except in marshmallow crème form? Yum!

To satisfy the whole family, we tried both the milk chocolate and the dark chocolate varieties and, judging from how quickly they disappeared, they were a big hit!

The MIKE AND IKE 4.5 lb Bulk Bag started to diminish just as fast... mainly due to me grabbing a handful here and there. With so many fruit flavors bursting out of each little colorful piece, we not only made quick work of this bag (my husband took quite a few to work), but we then couldn't resist picking up more the next time we were at the store!

They're just that good!

With our taste buds satisfied, the PEEPS 4 Pack Scented Candle Sampler has managed to keep our sense of smell happy as well. If you've ever wanted to enjoy having your home smell like sugar cookies or chocolate mousse, these are just the thing!

But to really show off our love of PEEPS & COMPANY, the girls couldn't pass up the PEEPS Girls Imagine World Peeps Tee. Who doesn't want to imagine a world coming together over their love of Peeps?

We sure do!

Whether you are lucky enough to make it to the PEEPS & COMPANY store in National Harbor, MD or you shop online, the variety, deliciousness and all-encompassing fun of the PEEPS & COMPANY brands and products are sure to be a hit for you, your family, and your friends all year long.

Instead of just pulling out Peeps for Easter, you'll know that they will be the perfect addition to your summer barbecue, your fall gatherings, your winter celebrations, and more! Eat the candies plain or incorporate them into creative recipes... surprise someone you know with a great gift... or just display your love for the PEEPS & COMPANY brands with your clothing... you can't go wrong!

And, thanks to the generosity of PEEPS & COMPANY, five lucky people will be able to take part in shopping for their favorites in every season as well, because...

Five lucky people will win a $20 gift certificate to the
PEEPS & COMPANY online store!

To enter to win: Visit PEEPS & COMPANY and tell me one of the fun items there that you might purchase if you win!

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow PEEPS & COMPANY on Twitter and/or Like them on Facebook.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

Year round fun w/ @PeepsandCompany! #WIN a $20 gift card for treats, apparel, gifts & more! 5 winners! http://bit.ly/piqVqJ @thxmailcarrier

2 Extra Entries (per follow method) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email, become a fan on Facebook or add Thanks, Mail Carrier to your blogroll.
3 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on August 5th at 11:59pm CST. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

A big thank you to PEEPS & COMPANY for providing a gift certificate for me to facilitate this review as well as $20 gift certificates for five lucky giveaway winners. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.